Ethics in the digital workplace
Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns.
Eneco, a Dutch energy provider, announced that it will reorganise and dismiss 250 employees to reduce costs and work in a more efficient manner. The company indicates that one in three of the lost jobs concern temporary workers and staff. The company will try to reorganise and use existing workers in new positions as much as possible, but does not rule out dismissing workers.
The company indicates that the energy sector is in a state of flux and that in order to adapt and survive, Eneco must also start working more efficiently and at lower costs. According to Eneco, this restructuring is part of a large growth strategy.
As of June 2018, the energy provider Eneco has about 3,000 employees in the Netherlands.
Eurofound (2018), Eneco, Internal restructuring in Netherlands, factsheet number 94258, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/94258.